Tag Archive: Art

She watched the men and women around her staring, judging, taking in the museum’s many pieces.

The paintings and statues, photos and furniture; it all had to mean something. They were looking for that hidden thing, whatever the artists was feeling when they created it. Some of them were smug, thinking that they had uncovered some conspiracy or another, and lording over the poor masses that couldn’t see it.

She never got it… whatever “it” was. Some things were just pretty, and that was enough.

The Degas exhibit was extraordinary. The detail in the lack of detail. Rough brush strokes and vibrant colors. She was particularly fond of the nude portraits. They were full of life and warmth.

While everyone else swarmed around the bronze ballerina – which she did find quite beautiful – she stayed back, watching them.

Fawn sat in her rocker, sipping the lavender tea that Mazarine so diligently whipped up.

“A good herbal shouldn’t be too hot, nor should it be too cold.”
Mazarine scrunched her nose at the quip, as Fawn had often repeated it.

As Mazarine took her seat on the front porch of the cottage in the woods, broke through the trees, sailing so quickly on the air that the flowers bent to the ground and leaves were ripped from their branches. She rushed into the cottage, a blur of pink. Mazarine and Cora worried that she may break the door again.

“What do you suppose has her worked up again, Mazzie?” Asked Fawn.

“Probably another dead-end prophecy. You know, sometimes I feel like she’s not happy unless the end of the kingdom is upon us.”

“I suppose there may be truth to that…. So many prophecies, it’s hard to know if any of them will come about in our lifetimes.”

Cora could be heard in the study, rifling through pages of tomes older than this forest – the women had seen this kingdom grow from seedlings, seedlings that they had planted.

“How long before she comes to sqwak at us?” Mazarine adjusted her shawl. It had been a gift from the land’s first queen, though she couldn’t remember her name. Oh, but she was quite talented with wool and dyes. The green was as vibrant as the day she was given it.

They both sipped their tea and rocked a bit, taking in the sounds of the birds and bugs and branches of their little homestead. At a glance, the cottage was much like any other – lumber and thatch and mud. A close look, though, would show that the cottage was not cut lumber, but was actually a hedge of bushes, grown so tightly together that the had woven themselves into walls, and the roof was a thick patch of mosses and mushrooms.

Cora burst out of the door, red-faced and panting, holding an aged book encased in a glass box.

“Do either of you remember how to open this damnable thing?!”

Fawn and Mazarine looked at each other, quite worried. That book was the oldest, most powerful, and serious in the collection. Even at her most panicked, Cora would NEVER reach for it.

Her voice shaking, Mazarine answered, “All three of us need to open it.”

“You better come inside.” Cora wiped the sweat from her brow – which was still quite furrowed. Fawn had often cautioned her that wrinkles would stick if she kept making that face, but today was not the day to warn Cora about her aging.

“Cora, dear, what is going on?” Fawn set her teacup down on a small stump that doubled as a side table. Mazarine did the same, and smoothed out her dress as they all walked into the drawing room.

“Ladies, we have a situation.
The darkness that we have feared has grown and is about to rear it’s ugly head.
We’ve known this day would come, but Heavens help me, I never thought it would happen so soon.”

Still a bit dazed, each woman set a hand on the glass case, focusing their special “talents”, as they liked to call it. Soft lights emanated from them – green, red, and blue – and the case seemed to melt away.

They looked at the book, sitting there on table. It was just so…. unobtrusive. There was nothing on the cover, no title on the spine. It was brown (which, frankly, they all agreed was an ugly color when it wasn’t out in the woods) and boring.

They all took a deep breath, hoping that which they feared would not come to be.

After a moment, they looked at each other, slightly relieved. The book just sat there.
Doing nothing.

“Well,” said Mazarine, “all that for nothing. You need to learn to rela—-”

A gust of wind blew through the cottage, flipping the pages of the book. When it stopped, Fawn’s heart sank.
Mazarine crinkled her nose, upset that she had spoken too soon.
And Cora…

Cora stared down at the page, a tear rolling down her cheek. It is as we have feared.

Before them was what amounted to a yearbook. Every witch, magician, wizard, and warlock to ever live would have a portion in the book. Some would have a paragraph, others a chapter. As new mages were born, pages were entered into the book.

This page was one of many; it was filled with legends, stories from around the world, of great evils. It hadn’t always been this way, there were many pages of wonderful things.
Melody had such promise. She could speak to the wind and rain; she could heal the land and help crops grow.
She had helped create this kingdom.

The fairies recalled the dark day when things changed.

A wizard, quite mad, had come upon their little cottage. He demanded that they teach him how to manipulate the Earth.
Trying to explain to a madman that you do not manipulate, but simply ask nicely, was impossible.

So he burned it to the ground – all of it.
Cora guessed it was because he wanted to see a new cottage spring forth from the remains or some such nonsense.

Melody was devastated. She had spoken to the walls. She knew every animal and insect that burrowed within the walls and floors and roof.
She could feel the ones that did not make it out. She tended the ones that barely did.

And then she tracked him down.
The forest was angry, and she began to feed off that anger.

Rage boiled in her blood.

Her once shimmery, lavender aura blackened. Her hair twisted and knotted as burnt branches.

And when she found him, she devoured his magic – which she found quite appealing. The power flowed through her, and she could harness it.
He was a shape-shifter…. dragonkind.

She gave his wasted body to the ground, where a small rose bush rose up. The thorns were quite large and very sharp.
Here, she grew her fortress.
Never again would the forest, her forest, be ravaged by men.

Cora, Fawn, and Mazarine had tracked her for months; the tower of thorns had become impressive.

They found her, dirtied and bloodied and burned. Tears had caked the mud to her face.
Fawn tried to hug her, to heal her, but she recoiled.

“Don’t come near me; I fear I will devour you, too.”

“Let us help you.” Fawn sang gently.
“We’ll get you cleaned up and back home.” Whispered Cora.

Before Mazarine could speak, Melody stood up.

“There will never be a home for us. These humans no longer revere us; they fear us. They attack for no reason, they kill without regard, they burn and chop and destroy. Just like the mad wizard.

Now leave, before I take your powers, too.”

“Take our powers?” Mazarine trembled, astonished at what she heard.

“I have been threatened, beaten, and bruised. But in the end, I am strong. Warlocks and druids have come to me, seeking to destroy me. I am a threat, they say!

And they are right. I drain them of their magic and throw their bodies to the rose bushes. My tower feeds and grows.”

Cora dropped her gaze a bit. “Sweetie, you know that it’s wrong to take another’s power.”

“I was defending myself!”

“It’s still wrong, and we can’t let you do it. Come home with us. The trees miss you. The chipmunks are in a tizzy.”

“NO! Now leave!”

Melody was so angry, so sad, so frightened, that she hadn’t noticed the three fairies weaving their spell. The faint lights from their hands wrapping the room like ribbons.
By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late – she was trapped.

Mazarine stepped forward.

“We took you in as a child because you had such potential, such love. We taught you everything we could about kindness and generosity.

You know this is wrong, and it is our duty to stopped you if you cannot stop yourself. You’ve lost control.”

She straightened her skirt and continued, “There will come a day when you are clearer in your head. When that day comes, you will free yourself from this prison. Until then, know that we love you, and always will.”

Fawn looked to her.
“The birds and animals will see to your well-being. Do not worry.”

They left, hearts filled with sadness and regret.

Looking in the book, Cora saw what they dreaded: A dragon, slain by a magic sword. They knew she had the power to free herself now, and they must put things in motion.

“Mazzie, you hop next door and make sure the blood line continues. We’re going to need a prince in a few years.

Fawn, get us an invite to the baby’s party.”

“What baby, what party?”

“Oh, I took care of that last night.” She smiled wryly. “Just get us in the good graces of Their Majesties. Now, go, the both of you! I have work to do.”

When Mazzie and Fawn had left the cottage, Cora got straight to work. This would be the most beautiful sword ever created. It’s powers would remain dormant until the right prince at the right time needed to battle a dragon.

“Maybe I should leave it lodged in a stone somewhere. Only he of pure heart can draw it or some such nonsense…. No, that’d never work.”

Here are a couple of pieces that have inspired me. I own prints of some, others I wish I could afford or find them. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

This is the very piece that got me into collecting fine art. I had the opportunity to actually meet the artist.

I was at a seminar in Scottsdale, AZ. I got to meet so many amazing artists.
The piece above, “Sleeper, Lost in Dreams” had only recently been made into a bronze sculpture. It was breathtaking. There I stood, almost crying over how beautiful it was, when a young woman came up and asked what I thought.
“This is the reason why I collect art. This is why I am a huge fan of Christensen’s work.”
I don’t recall her exact words, but it was something along the lines of, “He’s my dad; you should tell him that.”
Totally AMAZEBAWLZ.

I could probably do an entire post about how awesome James Christensen’s art is, but I’m going to let you click on the picture and get directed to his portfolio. I own 8 or 10 of his pieces, including an original sketch in my D&D spell-book (yeah, you read that right).

Bradlt Bralds was another artist that I got to meet. He is a pretty chill guy, and his wife is super sweet.
Also, he wore a bright blue speedo that day. Seriously chill.
I bought this piece shortly after I had a charity art show to raise money for Animal Ark Shelter. It reminded me of my Peanut. Now that she’s gone, I keep looking for a place to hang it.
I really, really wish I could get my hands on this one. Every time I see the image, I feel so calm.

And just so you don’t think that all I like is deep, broody, semi-religious art:

Really, though. Click the picture and go to his website.
I double-dog dare you not to smile.

There are many, many more pieces that I could put on here, but I was up super late last night and I’m tired.
So I’m going back to bed.
But I know you’ll enjoy some of these.

I cannot begin to put to words the immense pain in my heart. I’ve been on the verge of tears so many times today (and have cried twice).
It is a little easier, though.

I have tried to be rational about the whole thing. She’s in a much better place; out of the pain and suffering she was experiencing.

Could she have lived longer? Yes, probably. Would she be happy that way – with a permanent/semi-permanent feeding tube, anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea drugs, pain-killers, and liquid foods? No, I don’t believe she’d be ok with that.
If there is one thing I know about my Peanut, it’s that she loved food. You don’t get to be a 16 lb. fluff-ball by not enjoying food.

So it is getting easier. But when I’m alone and it’s quiet, I begin to doubt myself.
Did I make the right decision? Was she really ready? Was there something more I could have done?
I wish I knew the answers.

I danced tonight. It was wonderfully therapeutic. It took my mind off my troubles.
Peanut always sat and watched me dance. I could tell there were certain songs she preferred, so I would dance to those. I’m sure she was more interested in the tassels and shiny bits on my hip scarves, but I always felt like I had a fan.
So now, I dance for Peanut in a different way.

I don’t know if I believe in the kind of afterlife that involves spirits of loved ones looking after you. Or if I really believe in an afterlife.
I was raised Catholic, so reconciling human spirits and animal spirits and what happens to them is difficult. I learned at a young age that after death, there are 3 options: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. No matter where you ended up, though, your soul has no actual memory of the life you left behind. There was no romantic love in Heaven. You didn’t actually meet your grandparents and live happily with Scruffy on a cloud (because, you see, animals don’t have souls). There was only a general “love” feeling for the other souls around you.

I don’t prescribe to that notion at all.

I haven’t really figured out if I believe in reincarnation, or past-lives and whatnot. I’m still kind of searching for that. Maybe I’ll ask her if I get to see her again.

On a not-quite-related note, here is a stunning piece of artwork from ancient Egypt. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?

“The Bird Lady” was excavated by Henri de Morgan in 1907 from Tomb 2 at the site of Ma’mariya in Egypt, which dates to about 5,500 years ago.‘The Dawn of Egyptian Art’ is on view at the Met from April 10 to August 5, 2012.